MEET THE TEAM / 01
FRONTIER
PHILOSOPHY
AUGUSTINE
CEO / FOUNDER — ROGUE EXPEDITIONS
Augustine is an American Literature and Philosophy professor, professional writer, and founder of Rogue Expeditions. He holds a Master of Education and has taught populations in the United States, South Korea, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan.
His Frontier Philosophy argues that integration with and conquest of nature unlocks the full, latent power of a folk group. For Heritage Americans, he organizes expeditions as modern, heroic rites of passage—a return to the conditions that forged the greatness of the ancestors and a gateway to revitalize frontier traditions. Philosophy must be lived rather than merely studied: it is not sufficient to read Nietzsche and Evola; their ideals must be commanded through action.
The practice began in 2018. Augustine spent two years exploring Vietnam primarily by motorcycle, living closely with remote tribal communities along the Vietnamese/Chinese border and throughout the Central Highlands. By 2023, this developed into public jungle-survival expeditions with the K’Ho people and an ongoing search for the Saola, the rarest bovine species in the world, known as the “Vietnamese unicorn.”
His fieldwork later moved to Central Asia, where his work shifted from jungle tribes to Kyrgyz nomadic communities. In an average summer month, Augustine rides roughly 1,000 kilometers across the Eurasian steppe with his expedition groups.
Years of riding and reconnaissance with Kyrgyz nomads eventually produced Conquer the Steppe. In 2025, Augustine and his local partner Kanai opened the 300–400 kilometer expedition to the public, organizing journeys for participants across remote Kyrgyzstan, with up to 15 hours a day on horseback alongside nomads, eagle hunters, and acrobats. Conquer the Steppe is now Augustine's principle experiment in lived philosophy.
FRONTIER PHILOSOPHY / LISTEN & READ
PODCASTS & ARTICLES
Post metrics as of October 11, 2026.
Podcast appearances
The Reincarnation of Wotan
Watch The Reincarnation of Wotan on XWATCH ON X ↗
RTTL — Podcast appearance
Watch Augustine’s podcast appearance on RTTLWATCH ON X ↗
Articles
02 / THE LOCAL PARTNERSHIP
KANAI &
AUGUSTINE
Kanai is a professional stuntman, trick rider, and tour leader of Conquer the Steppe. The son of a frontier hunter, he trains Kyrgyz acrobats and performs trick riding at full gallop — jumping on and off moving horses and throwing flips from the saddle.
Our friendship has always been reciprocal: I try to keep Kanai financially supported throughout the year with projects like Conquer the Steppe; Kanai has the considerably harder job of keeping me alive.
We regularly ride into severe mountain weather together. During one December expedition, we climbed to roughly 3,000 meters through a blizzard. I quickly developed hypothermia. We escaped into a yurt, burned horse manure for heat, and Kanai spent hours nursing me back to health until my purple feet restored circulation.
We engage in scouting missions year-round to find new routes for clients to explore. During a 2026 scouting mission at roughly 3,800 meters, a flash blizzard trapped us in the mountains again. This time, we survived the night by taking shelter with a yak herder.
Years of expeditions like these became the foundation for Conquer the Steppe.
03 / EXPEDITION LOGISTICS
NURLAN
SECOND IN COMMAND
Nurlan is the second in command on all of our expeditions. A former professional yak wrestler —yes, you read that correctly— turned extreme adventure guide, he handles the majority of our logistics coordination and specializes in remote expeditions across Naryn.
Naryn is Kyrgyzstan’s coldest, most remote, and most unforgiving province. Its people have preserved deeply rooted nomadic traditions, including a diet primarily comprised up of meat.
Nurlan doesn’t speak English, so conversations with clients are difficult. However, his humor magically transcends the language barrier and either consistently makes clients cry with laughter or amazes them with his feats of strength.
We call him “The Danger.” During a scouting expedition in early 2026, our horse Donut threw him off a cliff face and into the ice-cold river below. The incident earned him the nickname; his apparent lack of fear has kept it alive.
Much of Nurlan’s work happens behind the scenes: moving horses, preparing them for the route, and making sure the expedition is ready to depart. His wife also helps make some of our equipment by hand, including saddle pillows.
Nurlan is an invaluable member of the team and a close friend. Every expedition carries the results of work our clients may never see—and the majority of that credit belongs to Nurlan.
